


Troubles in paradise

by skinnyallie



Series: But if we go down, at least I'm in good company [4]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: And Soon To Be Married, Engagement, F/M, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:02:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23399656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skinnyallie/pseuds/skinnyallie
Summary: Malcolm hanged his head down, grinning like an idiot. Smile was so wide it hurt him, eyes squinted between the mimic wrinkles, but he was horrendously happy. Beforehand he had no idea how much he would enjoy congratulations, but he did. And the fact that now Edrisa knew made the fact somehow more real in his mind. The child wasn’t just some vivid dream; it was a real thing that made people happy for him.This includes: Malcolm and Dani having relationship's troubles and Jessica and Ainsley spilling someone else's secret. If you ever wondered how the team leanred about Dani's pregnancy, here I am to patch thing up!*various parts of this series don't need to be read in any kind of order; story is not linear from some point and time is an illusion*
Relationships: Dani Powell & JT Tarmel, Dani Powell & Jessica Whitly, Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright & Edrisa Tanaka, Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Series: But if we go down, at least I'm in good company [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671334
Comments: 1
Kudos: 33





	Troubles in paradise

**Author's Note:**

> To clearfy few things - I deliberately haven't done any reasearch for this and decided to base everything off of expirences of my family members and friends. Not because I'm lazy; I wanted thing to be as real as possible and to use list of symptoms when pregnant is rather not.  
> The only "research" was: trying to figure out their zodiac signs but claremontpsych done that one for me. She cracked that one prefectly!  
> Once again huuge thanks to claremonpsych, who edits my crap and makes it readable. Enjoy!

“HEY! Did that drawer do anything to you?”

JT approached Dani’s desk in the middle of her fight with a piece of furniture and something like this had never happened. One quick look at her told him she was  _ tense _ ; something huge had to get on her nerves.

“You can tell me, I’ll sort it out with it.” Detective added, keeping his face serious despite the attempt to cheer her up with bad jokes.

Detective Powell sighed with frustration and looked up to set her eyes on JT. She straightened and leaned back into her chair, pursuing to present false nonchalance. Officers were calmly moving around the floor while Dani was in the middle of a poorly hidden burst of anger. The precinct was unusually peaceful, which was a good sign for crime rates in the city, but was an immediate sign the thing bothering Dani was to be associated with her life outside of work. 

JT has worked with Dani long enough to see through that something was wrong. Her typical calmness, so often mistaken for coldness, was gone and now the intensity of her stare could melt rock. But he had to give it to her, she pretended everything’s fine quite convincingly for the untrained eye. Supposedly to not burden anyone with her and Bright’s problems - they did everything they could to not make them _ a thing  _ at the workplace.

Scanning Dani’s face, JT tried to pinpoint to her expression probable reasons for the miserable mood she was having. The moment he spoke her face loosened up, although still burning irises unmasked the act right away.

“No, thanks.” It came harsher than she intended but Dani couldn’t manage to find the strength in herself to be at least a little convincing with her next sentence. “Everything is fine.”

“Sure thing.” But he didn’t leave, still hovering over her space. That would be if for her to get rid of him; he had no intention of leaving her alone and just leaned on the edge of her desk, closing the only possible way out and facing her, waiting for more excuses. He was prepared to spend the whole day as her shadow, trying to diagnose what’s going on.

JT created safe space between his broad body and the divider behind Dani’s back, and now when she was isolated from others, Dani experienced some sort of intimacy. She visibly relaxed as if deflated - the tension left her shoulders as they went down a little, it flew from her head and when she hid her pride and silently admitted there was something wrong, her eyes fixed on JT in anticipation of the wave of his care.

“I assume your honeymoon phase has ended.” He was gentle with that statement, because even though he was in a relationship with Tally for so long, he remembered well how infuriating it was, when the rose-tinted spectacles were taken off.

There was no answer to that. She felt frustrated that he might be right. Sure, Dani was aware that any kind of a relationship with Malcolm was deemed to be difficult but they started off so well, now it was hard to admit it’s not gonna be always that way. The hard days were coming, and  _ they were coming fast _ …

Looking deep into his eyes Dani waited for more. She decided it was probably better to not speak since it might end up as another explosion of feeling and emotions. And for now she had no idea whether it would be anger or sorrow. Her knotted eyebrows, and narrow holes that now took the place of her usually sparkling eyes were daring JT to tell her more of his insight.

“You very loudly spoke to a guy today, saying your problems would be over if he could last longer than five minutes,” he answered her unasked demand for more of his observations.

The wave of realisation hit her, as her pale lips mouther word ‘shit’ with utter shock displayed on Dani’s face. JT was referring to the situation that took place earlier that day, in the break room. She was having a conversation with Malcolm over coming to boiling water when she had lost her temper, saying those unfortunate words a little too loud for their liking.

“Oh god, I know what I said but, honestly-- Had no idea it sounded like  _ that _ .”

Those dark eyes of hers opened again to show utter terror hidden inside, sprinkled with a feel of humiliation she had to serve to Malcolm with that line. Now she was anxiously scanning the floor in hope to spot him. Not like she wanted to apologize, just check on him from a safe distance. But he wasn’t there so her gaze again focused on her colleague at the desk.

“I assume it wasn’t about what everyone thinks it was.”

“No, it’s not-- Just--” Dani wasn’t looking in his eyes anymore, instead staring at her palms hidden inside the sleeves. When she continued with a voice weak and tired, her eyes were still fixed on her laps. “It's a difficult time.They try to change the approach, readjust his meds…”

With a deep sigh she met his stare, giving up the attempt of hiding her icy hands inside the garment. “But Bright doesn’t take it well and his sessions last up to ten minutes before he bursts out from the room. His therapist-- She doesn’t even have a chance to  _ talk _ with him.”

”And what’s got on his nerves?” JT was still standing steady as a statue, just trying to figure out what is it that’s falling apart in the relationship of his friends (not that he would anytime soon willingly admit to Bright he is considered as a friend in the Tarmel’s household). “Why decided to change meds?”

“I think he’s just… We  _ both  _ are- very tense.”

“I know marriage is difficult, but Dani, you know the ring doesn't mean anything?” The words almost caused him physical pain and that got her alarmed. He cared for her and she was fully aware of that, since the day Gil brought her in. JT’s main concern was Dani, but it was hard to keep Bright out of that equation. Flood of ambivalent feelings made his voice shaky. “You can take it off, live your life… Leave that drama."

"I love him, JT.” The declaration was firm. Dani’s very confident in those words, no matter the current situation they were living in. JT could tell when some wild thought ran across her mind and a little of a hesitation showed, but in the end she decided to tackle the topic and shared, not meeting his eyes:

“I’m pregnant,” a breath in and then she calmly added, slowly considering the next words, still not looking at him. “That’s why he decided to readjust meds and the whole shenanigans. It wasn’t planned as you can easily assume but we both want this child, it's just… It's getting harder and  _ harder _ ."

Her voice broke, choked on the tears not to be seen. JT decided to pretend he didn’t notice, knowing she will be grateful for that. Dani really didn’t like when her weakness took the best of her and always felt the most comfortable when moments like this were ignored, so she could deal with this herself. But he took an attempt to light her up with his unique humor.

“Pregnant? With that dude?” He wasn’t being serious and his over-the-top mimic was the emphasis on his tries to make her feel at least a little bit better.

“JT, how low do you think of me?“ But it worked and her muffled stress voice resonated with laughter, tinted with impostered grudge.

“Easy, Powell…” JT stepped away and continued on his way. “Just joking. Dude is bananas but he has heart in the right place. I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You have to, Tally already bought the dress for your wedding!”

The wedding. It was in less than 2 months. They rushed it, but… God, she forgot it was  _ so soon. _ Jessica took care of everything so there were moments when Dani forgot it was just a matter of a few weeks at that point. Every argument and disagreement they had so far was mainly focused on the baby and his mental health. With a wedding on the horizon there were so many more things to discuss.

As JT was walking away Dani called after him with hints of desperation heard in her voice.

"You think Tally has a moment to spare? I need company of someone who is not Whitly, or I'll get crazy."

The affirmative answer made her smile. Coming back to her duties it didn’t disappear and Dani was genuinely surprised how lighter she felt after just a conversation with a friend.

***

The moment Edrisa phoned that the examination is over and she has some autopsy papers for him, Malcolm went to the precinct’s morgue. He was looking for an excuse to leave since that very terrible exchange of words between him and Dani, when the two were preparing their late-morning tea. He was angry at her because she was right and he rarely took it well when he wasn’t.

They were standing over the metal table covered with white sheet body displayed on it. Edrisa filled him in but his mind still wasn’t working the way he wanted it and the profile in his head just wasn't forming. Not because it was full of contradictions or unobvious traits - he was just that distracted with what was going on in his personal life right now.

The pregnancy was going great, no complications or possible risks ahead. Dani was feeling well, most of the time. She had luck to not experience morning sickness, pain and discomfort weren’t severe and the only thing that truly made her crazy was the moment when her body started producing more and more blood that was rushing through her veins. Her doctor explained to them that is why pregnant women feel dizzy and that’s the reason why they shouldn’t be standing still and instead keeping their body moving - so the excessive blood would calmly flow instead of rushing through their head.

He could notice she was feeling less and less familiar with her body with every passing day, when the bump of her belly was getting bigger. Malcolm received very good education in psychology so he was keeping an eye on the mental state of his soon-to-be-bride. He also did his best to hide the fact he was observing her. Dani hated with burning passion to be treated as an object of his profiling thoughts .

She was putting herself through pregnancy for shared want, and in that situation the least he could do was to take care of himself - Bright knew damn well it was the best possible way to take care of his family. His sanity however had a high price as he was forced to change a few things. Malcolm became short-tempered, in a very similar way to his mother. Since yesterday evening Dani was trying to have a conversation with Bright about the possibility his father was indeed grooming him for a killer but Malcolm couldn’t face it, not yet; not when he was expecting youngling of his own. He wasn’t able to talk this through with Doctor Le Deux, whatsoever with his fiancee! So she lost her patience during another talk about his therapy and left him alone with two mugs filled with tea. They haven’t talked since.

“Woo-hoo! Bright?” Edrisa’s hand flew in front of Malcolm’s blunt face. He restored sharp vision with realisation that he wasn’t paying any attention to what she had been telling him about their vic for a few minutes.

“Yes, sorry. What was that again?”

Despite a polite smile, the eyes of Doctor Tanaka pierced into Bright, head crooked as in curious bird. Her typically cheery temperament was substituted with care and worry.

“Does it matter? Something else on your mind. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” his typical fidgety was back. Malcolm really didn’t want to talk about his personal life with Edrisa, despite him really considering her as a friend.

She was weird, but so was he. They both were true crime nerds, and because that’s what they were doing for a living, it freaked people out. It’s one thing if you spend your days listening to podcasts about serial killers, and that’s fine in the eyes of society. But if you choose to do your own research, under the name of education, people find it strange.

Edrisa found in Malcolm a person to geek out with over the creativity of some killers and cruelty of others. He was the only one around who didn't find it weird, how fascinated she was with dead bodies. It took Malcolm some time to accept the friend he had in Edrisa because he never had a friendship like this - based on common interests. With time it unfolded that Edrisa also was very passionate about his well-being in general, wishing him the best no matter in what field.

“You know I can keep a secret? Is something wrong between you and Dani?”

“Something like that,” Bright said dismissively.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.“ Worry was soon to be replaced with bright: “You’re too perfect together!”

“I think it’s not something we can  _ figure out _ . Both of us just have to accommodate to the new reality. And I’m just failing in that matter…”

“It’s about the pregnancy?”

“What? How do you--?”

“Ainsley!” She exclaimed with joy. The temperament of Doctor Tanaka was still a puzzle for Malcolm. Her ability to swing from professional calmness through panicking and to finish with pure glee. “Your sister came here yesterday, looking for an ‘inner source from NYPD’ about the vic and tried to bribe me with the news! Congratulations, by the way!”

Malcolm hanged his head down, grinning like an idiot. Smile was so wide it hurt him, eyes squinted between the mimic wrinkles, but he was horrendously happy. Beforehand he had no idea how much he would enjoy congratulations, but he did. And the fact that now Edrisa knew made the fact somehow more real in his mind. The child wasn’t just some vivid dream; it was a real thing that made people happy for him. 

“Then I assume I should tell Gil before he overhears anything,” Bright headed out, performing some jittery gesticulations with his hand clenched on the files from Edrisa. “He deserves to hear it from us…”

“He knows! Your mother paid him a visit so he could look after both of you.” Seeing a confused look on Bright’s face Edrisa went to explain right away. “He was here, when Ainsley came. I thought you knew…”

“About that big mouth of my mother’s? Yes. So I don’t know why I am surprised...”

“Whatever is bothering you, Bright, I’m sure you’ll figure it out! You are Gemini and Leo! It’s a perfect match!”

He left uncommented the fact that Edrisa probably looked up their birth dates. He only shook his head, still smirking under his nose because she was right, they were the perfect match.

***

After finishing work Dani was meant to meet with Jessica and Ainsley to make some almost-final decision about her wedding dress, while they had to wait with all the adjustments to the garment for another two months since her body was rapidly and constantly changing. Malcolm’s turn for the torture of trying on suits and ties was planned for next week, so he went straight home, alone in his misery.

Bright did his best to try to occupy his thoughts with anything else than what Gabriela planted in his head. The therapy wasn’t that hard in a long time but he knew it was necessary if he wanted to keep Dani happy (which he did). And yet, Malcolm couldn’t force himself to take steps to the recovery.

He decided it was a moment when Sunshine had to have her cage cleaned. When the parakeet was enthusiastically flying around, Malcolm was washing the metal bars in the kitchen sink. After he was done with this, and many more other chores were finished Malcolm ended up in his office, doing some relaxing reading on murders. Everything was fine only as long as he was keeping himself occupied.

He was expecting Dani would be gone till the late evening hours, with his mother and sister taking good care of her but he was impatient, growing with the worry in his solitude. They were living together for only a few months but Malcolm got used to her constant warmth around very quickly; feeling stressed whenever the place was lacking her presence.

So caught up in thoughts Malcolm didn’t hear when the keys turned in the lock and Dani let herself in. Door to the office was open and still the first signal that she came back home was tweeting of his bird.

“Hello, Sunshine,” she greeted the parakeet quietly, so the peaceful ambience of the place was not disturbed. Malcolm knew perfectly how it looked - it always looked that way, from the day Dani started visiting his place in the evenings, long before they were anything serious. She stepped into the dark apartment and took off her coat, hanging it and her keys. Then, still in the false darkness, brightened by street lights, Dani approached the birdcage and opened it to pet the bird. Usually at this point Sunshine was calming down and no more chirping was heard.

Malcolm was sure he knew how the night was going to be. Dani will start wordlessly doing chores, trying to occupy her thoughts, deliberately avoiding talking to him, but not because she was  _ that  _ angry with him; she just had to sort some things out all by herself. Then she would go to sleep, alone in their bed and Malcolm would not sleep at all, stuck upstairs with his remorses.

But he was wrong and later that evening, when streets were quiet and streetlamps shined brighter than sun during the day, Dani knocked on the frame of the still wide open door. She was living with him for about 4 months now but in situations like this the place didn’t feel like home, despite the effort of them both.

“Come in,” Malcolm invited her in with worry wrapped around his warm voice.

She was ready to go to sleep, showered and in pyjamas consisting of her leggings and his old Harvard sweatshirt. She found it funny he had the sweatshirts and was wearing them around since he offered them to her for the first time. Dani looked into the office with eyes of a scared puppy, two mugs with herbal tea in her hands - offering a truce.

“I owe you apologies. JT told me how it sounded… I’m sorry. I wasn’t implying-- ”

“I know,” he interrupted her with a smile. They both were aware of his limitation caused by meds and if Malcolm was sure of one thing it was Dani would never poke fun at him for means he had to take to keep himself sane.

She stepped in with little hesitation, cautious of hot liquid in the mugs. They were placed on top of everything Malcolm had displayed while doing his recreative research. It drove him crazy and not in the fun kind. Dani always did that - set mugs and cups right in front of her, not minding if the papers underneath will end up with circle stains from tea and coffee. Little thing that was annoying him far and beyond of his comprehension of reality was left uncommented this time.

She settled on his laps, his hands on her waist steadying her. Dani bought her feet up, where Malcolm grabbed them and started slowly knitting to untie all the knots of stress hidden there. Her eyes closed immediately and Dani sank deeper into his torso, releasing relaxing murmurs. Wedding errands with Jessica and Ainsley were exhausting even more than she imagined. Something good was happening in Malcolm’s life for the first in forever and they wanted to enjoy it; exploit it as much as they could. 

“He also reminded me how soon the wedding is.” Despite weariness Dani pursuited to continue the conversation they were having. “And then Jessica and Ains only made it worse”

“You have doubts?”

The question was meant to sound playful but instead an apparition of real threat appeared.

“You wish…” The best way to respond to his humor was in the same joking way.

Malcolm couldn't see her face, buried in his torso, only felt the changing pressure of her cheek against his chest when she smiled. Bright's hand didn’t stop its ministrations and he mindlessly was caressing Dani’s calves, taking in the warmth. He really did miss her after just a day of crossfire. After a while filled with Dani’s regular breathing he was sure she fell asleep in this highly uncomfortable position so she got him by surprise when she continued the conversation.

“But I haven’t even thought about all those legal matters, like the name.” Dani pulled away from him, only to look firmly into his eyes from a very close distance. “But I’d love to take yours. Danielle Bright. Sounds right.”

That caught him off guard. Malcolm definitely wasn’t expecting that, but he had to give it to her - it did sound  _ right _ . How painful it was to share the truth with his fiancee that’s not going to happen.

“Dani, the problem is… Bright is only an alias. In all papers-- ”

“Danielle Whitly,” she cut him before Malcolm had a chance to go further into explanations.

Shock displayed on his face was comic. Deep eyes were searching for any signs of a joke from her, hands stopped caressing her, awaiting.

“Will you do that?”

“Take the name of the man I love so dearly that I carry his baby under my heart?” Now she was just teasing him.

“It’s not only  _ my  _ name…”

Dani was ready to not take an ounce of Malcolm’s shit.

“No, it is also a name of generous women like your mother and sister.” She straightened and looked deep into those blue eyes of his. “Malcolm, I won’t let that man destroy us. Of course, I am scared but I really want to make  _ a statement  _ with it, you know?”

“I love you.”

She bathed proudly in his declaration of love like a cat in the sunlight. The smile was back, thanking him for affection; a smile that every time melted his heart. The one which burned brightly in her eyes.

“I know.”

They spent a few more minutes in that position, she on his laps, breathing in the same air. Then Dani wordlessly stood up and took his hand, dragging him.

“Let’s go to bed,” but right after they stepped out of the office she stopped, standing there in utter darkness. “I forgot to tell you,” he heard that before, when she admitted to him that she had told Jessica about the pregnancy. “I told JT about the baby.”

Malcolm could only chuckle at the curious situation that was happening.

“So they all know now,” and seeing Dani’s confusion in the darkness in front of him he continued. “Edrisa told me today that apparently my mother paid Gil a visit to warn him to look after us and yesterday my sister tried to bribe Edrisa with the news.”

Neither of them were shocked or angry. Dani just shook her head and leaned in to be hugged by her fiance. Moments later they were walking down the stairs, hand in hand, fingers entwisted. Dani stopped them before the last few steps, so they were looking directly at Sunshine.

“You know it’s too small? The cage for Sunshine.” Dani faced him, waiting for him to acknowledge her remark. “We should get her proper one, you definitely have funds and space for it.”

***

The next day was nicer. Malcolm wasn’t open about everything right away but he promised to try to take better care of himself. It was enough for Dani to the weights of stress to be lifted from her shoulders. But everything went south around noon, after Dani received one of the strangest calls from Jessica.

“I’m guessing you can explain why a cage large enough to lock the Surgeon up in is in my hall.”

Looking around the precinct for answers, Detective Powell looked like fish taken out of the water. She was confusingly opening and closing her mouth while looking for a somewhat coherent explanation to give to her future mother-in-law.

“Ym-- yeah, Malcolm bought it last night.” She could only assume what he was doing after she fell asleep. “I’ll come to pick it up after work.”

Long, dramatic sighs resonated to Dani through the speaker. Jessica wasn't surprised, just caught a little of guard.

“Why?”

“For Sunshine.”

“Despite his best efforts, he can barely take care of that parakeet but I am glad you can.”

And Dani knew Mrs Whitly wasn’t talking  _ only  _ about Sunshine.

**Author's Note:**

> Wanna hear my thoughts on Dani's full name? So I was concidering Danika since I saw it in fics prior. But then I **did research** and it turns out Danika is European name. Here starts my anger because it was written it's from regions of Croatia, Bulgaria etc. and it was tagged as Eastern Europe. Honestly, more south in Europe is only Africa. For God's sake... So yeah, that got me angry and I settled with Danielle that is beautiful name, goes well with Whitly, and with the name of their daughter (Jacqueline).  
> I'm still here, hoping for your feedback or just that you were entertained with my writing.


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